Delayed-action switch



Feb. 23, 1954 J. B. SHOCKLEY 2,670,413

DELAYED-ACTION SWITCH Filed July 28, 1952 75 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DELAYED-ACTION SWITCH Joseph B. Shockley, Detroit, Mich. Application July 28, 1952, Serial No. 301,280

Claims. 1

In my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,572,396, granted to me October 23, 1951, I describe a delayed action switch wherein the actual breaking of a circuit therethrough may be variably controlled to occur at a timed interval after the switch button or tumbler has been moved to its off position; so that when the switch is used in connection with a porch light, for instance, a person after snapping off the switch may have time to descend the porch steps before the light is actually extinguished. This type of switch has many advantages in many other applications where such timed delay is desirable.

While the switch of my earlier patent referred to is of somewhat special design, as a whole, the present invention relates to the use of a convential switch design with a delayed action latching device added thereto and coupled to a moving member thereof in a simple and effective manner. lhis permits the utilizing of a standard switch mechanism without departing from its customary mechanical and operating features and admits of the coupling thereto of an accessory comprising a time control latch without necessarily calling for any material redesign or modification oi the switch mechanism itself.

The invention more particularly contemplates in combination with a standard switch having a toggle operated blade adapted to be snapped into circuit-closing and circuit-breaking positions upon the actuation of a tumbler or button for that purpose, an attachment in the form of a latch plate movable with said blade, and a timed latch to engage said latch plate when said blade is moved to its circuit-closing position, thereby causing said latch plate to temporarily prevent the movement of said blade to a circuit-breaking position for a period of time after the tumbler or button has been actuated to bias said blade toward its circuit-breaking position.

Still further, the said invention contemplates providing, in combination with a standard toggle switch having a circuit-controlling blade, a. guided slidable latch plate connected to the free end of said blade, a latch button adapted to be pressed into latching engagement with said plate when said blade is in a circuit-closing position, and means for moving said button out of engagement with said plate after a predetermined timed interval.

Still further objects or advantages additional or subsidiary to the aforesaid objects, or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may adopt the novel construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a switch and its mounting strap showing the arrangement of the switch button and the delay regulating button;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the reciprocal latch plate removed;

Figure 4 is a rear View, taken on a plane indicated by the line 44 in Figure 2, wherein the back cover plate of the switch casing is removed;

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 2 illustrating, in full lines, the switch button moved to the on position, the latch plate being engaged by the delay action latch and, in broken lines, the switch button moved to the off position while the contact blade remains held by the latch plate in its on position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken on a plane indicated by the line 6-8 in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a similar view to Figures 2 and 5 showing the switch button in its on position and the contact blade also in its on position notwithstanding the fact that the upward movement of the latch plate is interfered with to some extent by premature depression of the latch button.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawing.

i 0 indicates a switch casing provided with a mounting strap H and havin mounted therein a switch button or tumbler l2 pivoted at [3 and connected with one end of a toggle spring I4, the other end of which is connected to a vertically swingable contact blade 15; all in a wellknown manner whereby, upon the depression of the tumbler l2 to the off position shown in Figure 2 the said blade I5 is snapped downwardly to its circuit-breaking position shown in that figure, whereas, when the said tumbler is raised to the on position shown in full lines in Figure 5, the said blade is snapped upwardly to the circult-closing position bridging the contacts l6 as in standard toggle switch practice.

Added to this conventional mechanism, I provide a latch plate I 1 having a slot IS in its lower portion and a square orifice I9 at its upper end portion, the said slot it being adapted to receive a tongue or a projection I5 on the free end of the contact blade l5. The said plate is reciprocable in guide channels 29 formed in a back plate 21 secured to the casing ID of the switch. Thus, as the contact blade I5 is snapped upwardly or downwardly the said latch plate I! correspondingly reciprocates upwardly or downwardly in its guide channels.

Above the switch mechanism, the casing In is shown as being bored at 22 to receive an expandable piston 23 which may be pushed inwardly of end of the said rod 21 slides in a square hol'e''28 through the switch casing attherinnerxerxdzoflthe said bore 22.

When the latch plate I1 is raised'upon" the contact blade being snapped to its circuit-closing position, the orifice-I 9* in "the upper end 'of' this blade normally coincides with the -hole 2'8"in the casing It; so that, by pushing' 'the'button 25*inwardly, the inner end of the rod 21 may-then enter the orifice I 9 *of thei latch plate' I "and thereby secure the said latch-'plate-in-its raised --position until suchtimeas the rod 21' -iswithdrawn therefrom by the action of 'the compres- -sion spring 24.

" :In the example. shownt'the time' required for Jthe compression spring'torelease the rod-Tl'from the latch "plate is controlled-by the frictional re- .sistance between the p'istori '23 and the-wall of zthe:borei22; and this r'esistance may be regulated byzrotary adjustmentof l the button 25' on the .;.threaded end of the rod' -zl to 'determine'" the .1 amount of expansionv of the said pistorragainst the wall of the bore. 'Iihisparticular method'oi control is not an essential feature of-the present inventiornandwas utilized with the construction described in my earlier Patent No. 2,572,396 here- .inbeforezereferredi to.

- It" will *be apparent :that .innthe crganization ;:described;zwhen the tumbler is moved toithe on position shown ini-tull lines' in Figure 5;. and the latch plate Ii"-'meved aupward1y..as-..the contact blade I5 bridges: the :contacts' 1 lfiuthe pressing of the button 25 inwardly as shown in the said Figure 5. will :efiect V the:temporaryalocking of the latch plate in this-raised position: 3:.Consequently,

if the tumbler bexthen moved to LthEi-fiOfiiDOSl -tion-,: shown in. broken: lines: in the isaidx figure; it will not immediately causethe corresponding :movementofthe :contact blade F1 5;? even: though its. spring I 6 awill then urge 1 suchz'movement. It

isonly after the latch plate I! is relea'sed byJthe .delay movement of the pistoni23 back to itsouter positionin the manner already 1 described that the I spring 5 8 may then complete the circuit-breaking movement of the :bladel 5.

I It will beobvious..that Whenlthebutton is not pressed.-.inwardly. the switchmaybegoperated to its "ion" anddoff positions in. the normal manner; and" even if the said button" 25 be prematurely pressed inwardly so 'thatthe' inner end of the rod 2! is'impingediby'theiupperedgeof "the latch plate I I, asshown in Figure 7; the'switch may still be operated in the normalmanner to 'it's onf and 'f"ofipositions andthe" closing and opening or theioir'cuit effectively accomplished.

It will 13150. bexobserved .that;zast. this'rinvention does =-=not reside: in. the? specific xformxotztiming @means for. controlling. the operation of. the latch rodv 2?,4cthe said. inventionis .of' apzqu-ite simple nature involvingthe combinationwith a -.timecontrolled latch member and astandardttoggle switch .mechanism. including. a. movable ;.contact bladeof a latch plate adapted'to becoupl'edto said blade and guided for movement thereby into "and outer latching juxtaposition with said latch member. 'Thus it-wiii. be "seeni that afstand'ard toggle switch*mayrby simple'modification ofits 4 casing to house a slidable latch plate and its latch (which is entirely independent of the switch mechanism) a :be converted .to: a delayed-action '.,=.1switch. such-asiin themanner illustrated, as an 5 example, in the drawing forming part of this specification.

This invention may be developed within the *scope'otthe following claims without departing from the essential features of the said invention, 10 and it is desired that the specification and drawin'gL-be read: as being merely illustrative of a practical-embodiment of the same and not in strictly limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1: In 'coinbination with a" standard switch mechanism including a contact blade movable -toon and on? positions, a-slida bly mounted "-"reciprocable latch plate having a perm'anent 'sliding connectionwith said blade, a manually operable latchunembernormally separated from said latch-plateadapted to engage and-detain-said plate in oneoi itspositions of movement-,-*and time-controlled means for 'eiiecting delayed dis- "engagement of said -latch member from said plate.

2; In combination 1 with a" standard toggle "switch mechanism" including a contact blade swingable to on and off positions, a slidably mountedreciprocable latch plate'hav-ing a permanent' sliding connection with the free end of ll said bladey amanually-operable latch member rnormallyseparated from said latch plateadapted itoengage and detain said plate in one of its 100- "sitionspf movement, and time-controlled means for-effecting delayed disengagement of said latch zit-"member from-said plate.

I SL-In coinbination-Witha' standard switch mechanism including a contact blade movableto -oi1 :and ofi positions, a 'slidably mounted =reciprocable latch plate-having a permanent sliding 4i) connectionwith -said blade, a push button; resilient rneans opposing the pushing of said button, a latch memberni'ormally spaced from'said wlatch plateadapted to 'interlo'ckingly engage and :Jdetain said plate in one of its positions of-movei-ment' when said button is pushed inwardly sa'gainst'a'said' resilient means; and braking. means :ifor-i delaying the a outward plate-disengaging .imeyeinenticfi said buttohby said resilient means. are;:lnficbinbination with a standard switch tzsinechanism including acontactdolade movable to ion. and io'fil positions, a slidably mounted'reniciprocable latch plate having apermanent sliding. connection with said blade, '9, push *buttomresilient means opposing the: pushing of said but- 5 -1ton, 3118123 11 membernormally spaced fromr-said latch plate adapted to :int'erlockingly engage and Ldetain. saiduplatesin. one of its positions' of move- ;ament when said button is pushed inwardly against :1 said: :resilientmeans, and adjustable braking zm'ean's' vfor variably delaying the outward platedisengaging movement not: saids button by said 2 resilient means.

. Switch mechanism as in claim. 1 wherein the latch member includes a push button operated rod :ancl v the.:-en=gagement between the ilatch plate and latch member includes-an opening in thealatch plate for the reception of said and.

JOSEPH B; 'SHOCKLE Y.

0 References Cited in the file-of vthi s.-.-patent 

